Glitter and Gloss by Vibha Batra

 

A makeup artist working day & night, living life on her own terms, making decisions for herself suddenly lands up in a situation where she is constantly trying to prove her worth, juggling between work and social life. The cause of her distress and the reason why she sees stars in the daylight is Akshay Agarwal, the man of her dreams.

Misha, our protagonist, is a fun-loving, cheerful girl, who is trying to pursue her dream of being a professional make-up artist. After several failed relationships, Misha finally meets Akshay, who unlike other boys is everything she could ever dream of. Owner of the Aggarwal Jewellers, Akshay is a hot-shot who has a lavish lifestyle and his clothes along with his smell, reek of expensive brands that you can’t even pronounce. He falls in love with Misha’s unconventionality, her quirkiness and upfront attitude. Despite belonging to the elite class, Akshay is humble and down to earth. The chemistry between Misha and Akshay is sizzling. They’re an embodiment of young love, passion and desire. However, as John Green once said, ‘Life is not a wish-granting factory’, our loving couple, face tough time ahead.

Enter, Didi, Akshay’s third parent. Misha soon realizes that pleasing her sister-in-law is more difficult than she imagined. She has to live upto the unbelievably high standards set by Didi, follow the traditions of the Aggarwal family and give up on her dream to become a make-up artist. Will Misha succumb to the demands and sacrifice her life & career to be the ‘bahu’ of the Aggarwal family? Or will she pursue her dream regardless of the societal standards forced onto her? That’s for you to read and find out!

Vibha Batra’s writing style is smooth, simple and extremely fun to read. It’s safe to say the book is a laughter riot. Several instances in the novel are quite hilarious. Misha’s references to bollywood, Big Bang Theory are sure to leave you in splits. Apart from that, Vibha has pointed out a rather gloomy picture of Indian standard for women. The judgemental nature and superficial display of affection is deep-rooted within the Indian families even today. Women face a lot of pressure to give up their jobs after marriage and working women are considered a failure when it comes to maintaining their personal life. Why, after so much progress and empowernment, women are still not able to decide for themselves? Why can’t women have a steady job AND a happy personal life? The reality is distressing. However, one can only hope for a more progressive mindset. The author also tackles a number of inhibitions about an independent working girl. Vibha shares her flat with her friend, Sammy, who belongs to the opposite sex. This is met with shock and disbelief by Didi, who resents Misha’s life choices and living arrangements.

Akshay also represents a man with strong beliefs and ideals, one who never backs from lending his full support to Misha and encourages her to work hard for her career. He refuses to conform to the rules and norms of his Sister and the Indian society at large. He is a full blown Feminist.

(Just when I thought i’d not swoon over a fictional character, Akshay pops up, eh.)

Another important and recurring theme in the novel is self-love, one that most of us overlook. Misha might come across as an independent-confident girl but deep down inside she suffers from low self-esteem and insecurities. She isn’t happy with her physical appearance or her distraught relationship with her parents. She is too harsh on herself and needs constant validation to feel accepted.

From Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi to wearing the latest collection of M.A.C lipsticks, to a high-end lifestyle and sizzling romance, Glitter and Gloss has it all! I am not one to read Rom-com but this particular novel is fresh and crisp despite having a few cliché moments.

Lovers of contemporary romance and YA, would find themselves flipping through the pages and smiling a devilish smile at having come across a book that’s oh-so-relatable!

What are you waiting for? Grab your book now

 

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Publisher: Bloomsbury India

Format: e-book

Rating: 3.9/5

What are you waiting for? Grab your book now